FCT minister, Nyesom Wike, on Saturday, threatened to stoke crises and “put fire in” the states of PDP governors who intend to support his political adversary and successor, Siminalayi Fubara, by altering the party structure.
Speaking at a Rivers PDP congress over the weekend, Mr Wike declared his willingness to go to unimaginable lengths to retain control of Rivers State, warning that any state found meddling “will get burnt.”
“Let me assure all of you, not while we live will anybody take away the structure of the PDP from us,” the minister said. “But let me tell people, I hear some governors who say they will take over the structure and give it back to somebody.”
The former Rivers governor did not mince words as he responded to reports that PDP governors were strongly rallying behind Mr Fubara, with whom he is at odds.
Mr Wike interpreted the governors’ interference as an implicit declaration of war with consequences they might not be fully prepared for.
“I pity those governors because I will put fire in their states. When God has given you peace, you say you don’t want peace – anything you see you take,” the FCT minister told a crowd of PDP members.
According to Mr Wike, the PDP governors had begun acting arrogantly after receiving a generous bonus, which appeared to embolden them to interfere in the political conflict between him and Mr Fubara.
“Because I heard they got some money from a signature bonus, and so their heads are getting big that you will put a hand in my own state. Prepare because I have the capacity to also do the same thing in your own state,” the serving minister threatened
“Whether you are from Bauchi, I don’t give a damn, whichever state you are from, as far as I know, that you are trying to put yourself in Rivers State, your hand will get burnt, and you will never sleep in your state.”
His remarks came a week after Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi, chair of the PDP Governors’ Forum, reaffirmed support for Mr Fubara.
“The PDP Governors’ Forum restates its stand with the Governor of Rivers State and will engage the NWC of our great party to revisit the congress with a view to correcting the anomaly and allowing His Excellency Governor Siminalayi Fubara to take his rightful leadership position of the party in the state,” read a communiqué that Mr Mohammed presented on August 23 in Jalingo, Taraba state.
